Melbourne Social Sewing trip

Also known as the stashbuilding exercise (because of course, the one thing I need is more fabric.......Ha!)

 

It was a great day, big thanks to Kat for organising it and driving me around the city. I got a huge kick out of recognising patterns walking around (a few Tiramisus, a hollyburn and a Surreau!), plus matching voices to faces and meeting some other sewists (especially anyone who can get a Simpsons Frogurt reference!). It was a huge day though and I was absolutely knackered by the end of it, the heat, a thumping headache and my usual ability to stress myself to pieces over new experiences/meeting people/new places means I was pretty haggard by the time we finished!

 

Got some great fabric though and discovered some new shops, I really loved Rathdowne Fabrics, GJ's Discount fabric, Darn cheap and the Alannah Hill outlet. I love the ones full of fabric rolls or remnant bins that you have to dig through to find a gem, the fancier ones intimidate the hell out of me quite honestly, not really sure what that says about me.......lol!

  

 

New fabric - Kitten approved!

 

The greys - bengalene from Alannah Hill (pants), stretch wool blend suiting from GJ's (more pants) and a pleated knit from Darn cheap (Renfrew)

 

Lace from Alannah Hill (eventually a lace macaron) and some Black ponte (skirt and jacket), Purpley knit from The Fabrc Store (I loved everyones Tiramisu dresses enough to give it another go out of the purple knit) and a linen/cotton blend from Darn Cheap (pants).

 

Denim!! Left is a remnant from GJ's discount fabric (jacket) and the right is Bettina Liano denim from Rathdowne Fabrics (topstitched Jeans) its got a beautiful weight to it and just a touch of stretch.

 

The prints - out of all of the fabric I think I love the cat print the most! Its been earmarked for a Banksia Blouse for my daughter. That and the stripes are from the Alannah Hill outlet (Renfrew again with a grey ribbing for the bands and maybe a front zipper). The dots are a Viscose from Darn Cheap for a Lekala wrap blouse.

 

We got home on Staurday night then I spent Sunday and Monday helping a friend move houses so all I've done is wash and fondle my fabric, I am just itching to start sewing it all up now!

Fabric finds

I went op-shopping on the weekend and found some knits and cottons. They've all been earmarked for pajama tops, pants and boxer shorts for my daughter :)

There's 1.5m of the pink fleece



3 meters each of the cottons



1 meter each of the knits and about 20cm of the blue ribbing

Fabric finds

I went op-shopping with my mum on the weekend :) I haven't had any finds for the last couple of weeks so it was good to find some decent fabric.

5.3metres of Black pure wool twill! Its only 1m wide but its still heaps to make a winter coat next year. It has this printed logo on the edge, its a bit worn, but seems to say 'Army Naval Twill'.


A gorgeous satin, 3 metres of it.


1m of this nice knit fabric, its enough to make a singlet for my daughter


What I think is rayon? It will probably be a jacket lining. 3 metres.


A nice yellow cotton, I'm thinking about making this into a Lonsdale dress but I only have 2.3m of it.


This is another wool, or maybe a wool blend? It looks ok up close but I'm not sure from a distance, it might just become a muslin for a coat.

Fabric Finds

I found a box of fabric at the market this weekend and when I asked how much she said I could have it for free! I think I asked her about 5 times if she was sure :D

Its got some old quilting cotton that will be going to the local op shop, but it has a couple of nice pieces of stretch denim. I've been wanting to have a go at flat felled seams so I might use the darker denim to make my son a pair of shorts with felled seams

A pretty piece of cotton



A decent sized piece of what is probably a polyester blend? I've been eyeing off a dress that Dita Von Teese wore and I think this will make a nice copy (the fabric is darker in real life - closer to a deep royal blue like what Dita is wearing)



(source)

A couple of pieces of a cotton herringbone pattern

All in all what a great score!